The Loop
Watch Phil Mickelson hole out in the most Phil Mickelson way possible
Phil Mickelson is arguably the most prolific player in PGA Tour history when it comes to holing out shots. He pulled off the trick more times at the Presidents Cup last October than many do in their careers. But we believe Thursday's first round at the CareerBuilders Challenge produced a first -- even for Phil.
Mickelson threw a new wrinkle into the ol' hit-an-approach-past-the-hole-spin-it-back-into-the-cup shot by involving the flag itself on the eighth hole at La Quinta CC. Hitting the flag or the flagstick would normally take off all or most of the backspin and can often lead to disastrous results (Hello, Tiger Woods at the 2013 Masters). But Mickelson managed to have his ball carom off the flag and still spin back some 15 feet for an eagle you have to see to believe: